translate() CSS function

The translate() CSS function repositions an element in the horizontal and/or vertical directions. Its result is a <transform-function> data type.

Try it

transform: translate(0);
transform: translate(42px, 18px);
transform: translate(-2.1rem, -2ex);
transform: translate(3ch, 3mm);
<section id="default-example">
  <img
    class="transition-all"
    id="static-element"
    src="/shared-assets/images/examples/firefox-logo.svg"
    width="200" />
  <img
    class="transition-all"
    id="example-element"
    src="/shared-assets/images/examples/firefox-logo.svg"
    width="200" />
</section>
#static-element {
  opacity: 0.4;
  position: absolute;
}

#example-element {
  position: absolute;
}

This transformation is characterized by a two-dimensional vector [tx, ty]. Its coordinates define how much the element moves in each direction.

Syntax

css
/* Single <length-percentage> values */
transform: translate(200px);
transform: translate(50%);

/* Double <length-percentage> values */
transform: translate(100px, 200px);
transform: translate(100px, 50%);
transform: translate(30%, 200px);
transform: translate(30%, 50%);

Values

Single <length-percentage> values

This value is a <length> or <percentage> representing the abscissa (horizontal, x-component) of the translating vector [tx, 0]. The ordinate (vertical, y-component) of the translating vector will be set to 0. For example, translate(2px) is equivalent to translate(2px, 0). A percentage value refers to the width of the reference box defined by the transform-box property.

Double <length-percentage> values

This value describes two <length> or <percentage> values representing both the abscissa (horizontal, x-component) and the ordinate (vertical, y-component) of the translating vector [tx, ty]. A percentage as first value refers to the width, as second part to the height of the reference box defined by the transform-box property.

Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^2Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^2Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^3Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^3

A translation is not a linear transformation in ℝ^2 and can't be represented using a Cartesian-coordinate matrix.

(10tx01ty001)\left( \begin{array}{ccc} 1 & 0 & tx \\ 0 & 1 & ty \\ 0 & 0 & 1 \end{array} \right)
(10tx01ty001)\left( \begin{array}{ccc} 1 & 0 & tx \\ 0 & 1 & ty \\ 0 & 0 & 1 \end{array} \right)
(100tx010ty00100001)\left( \begin{array}{cccc} 1 & 0 & 0 & tx \\ 0 & 1 & 0 & ty \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \end{array} \right)
[1 0 0 1 tx ty]

Formal syntax

<translate()> = 
  translate( <length-percentage> , <length-percentage>? )  

<length-percentage> = 
  <length>      |
  <percentage>

Examples

undefined

Using a single-axis translation

HTML

html
<div>Static</div>
<div class="moved">Moved</div>
<div>Static</div>

CSS

css
div {
  width: 60px;
  height: 60px;
  background-color: skyblue;
}

.moved {
  /* Equal to: translateX(10px) or translate(10px, 0) */
  transform: translate(10px);
  background-color: pink;
}

Result

Combining y-axis and x-axis translation

HTML

html
<div>Static</div>
<div class="moved">Moved</div>
<div>Static</div>

CSS

css
div {
  width: 60px;
  height: 60px;
  background-color: skyblue;
}

.moved {
  transform: translate(10px, 10px);
  background-color: pink;
}

Result

Specifications

See also